Concrete wall with decorative surface and method of forming same

ABSTRACT

A concrete wall has a back surface supported by a back panel while a decorative material is applied to an opposing front surface of the wall by hand or by pneumatic projection while the surface is still plastic, and without using bonding agents. The decorative material may be further exposed by a surface treatment before or after the front surface is floated and finished, with a sealant optionally applied thereafter. The front surface may be created by pneumatic methods or by pouring concrete into forms and removing the front panel to expose the front surface while it is still plastic but hydrated enough not to slump.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for use inconcrete construction, and is more specifically directed to a concretewall with a decorate surface thereon, and a method of forming theconcrete wall and decorative surface.

Cast In Place (CIP) concrete walls are constructed by pouringun-hydrated concrete between two generally parallel concrete forms(e.g., front and back forms) that rest on or create a footing, withrebar and/or suitable wire mesh between the concrete forms. Puddling orvibration may be used to remove entrained air while the concrete isstill week. After the concrete hydrates and hardens, the concrete formsare removed—usually the day after pouring at the earliest. Applyingdecorative surfaces to such concrete wall surfaces requires a bondingagent to hold or adhere the decorative material to the concrete. Suchdecorative surfaces are time consuming to apply because the bondingmaterial requires special application and/or cleanup steps, and thebonding materials may inadequately stick to the concrete or to thedecorative material as they are applied one or more days after the wallis created. There is thus a need for an improved way to apply adecorative material to a concrete wall.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,962,088 describes a concrete wall formed by applyingshotcrete to an assembly having a back concrete form on a footing, withappropriate rebar or wire mesh held in place inside the forms as needed.A first concrete mixture with large and small aggregate is shotcrete orpneumatically applied to the form to create a concrete wall with a firstconcrete wall portion and then before the first concrete wall portionhardens, a second, face mixture of concrete is applied which has thelarge aggregates removed such that when the face mixture ispneumatically applied to the first surface, the face mixture defines auniform surface which can be floated to form the final, exterior surfaceof interest. While this process results in a uniform exterior surface,it requires time and effort to separate out the larger aggregate and tocreate and apply the second concrete face mixture in a timely manner toensure the face mixture sticks to the underlying, first shotcretemixture. While the resulting wall surface is uniform and of improvedappearance, it lacks a decorative surface formed by select sands, color,minerals, etc. There thus remains a need for an improved way to create aconcrete wall with a decorative material on the exterior surface of theconcrete wall, and an improved concrete wall with a decorative surfaceconnected to that wall.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,781,819 and 9,102,572 describe a concrete wall pouredbetween vertical concrete forms which are removed after the surfacehardens or cures, typically at least one day after the wall is created.The hardened concrete surface is then roughened and a second concretemixture applied to that roughened surface with the second mixturerequiring separating out larger aggregate. This process is timeconsuming, labor intensive and requires multiple steps extending overseveral days, which requires repeated stops at the job site, increasescosts, extends the cleanup time and creates bonding issues between theconcrete wall and the second concrete mixture which are only partiallyaddressed by the need to roughen the concrete wall surface. There thusremains a need for an improved way to create a concrete wall with adecorative material on the exterior surface of the concrete wall, and animproved concrete wall with a decorative surface connected to that wall.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,246,269 and 9,695,602 describe processes for forming anarchitectural concrete structure on a poured, horizontal concrete slabwhich has no concrete form on the upper, horizontal surface of the slab.These patents rely on the horizontal orientation to achieve theirdesired result and do not indicate any applicability to concrete wallswhich are formed by different processes using different concrete formsin different orientations to prevent slumping of the wet concrete. Therethus remains a need for an improved way to create a concrete wall with adecorative material on the exterior surface of the concrete wall, and animproved concrete wall with a decorative surface connected to that wall.

BRIEF SUMMARY

A concrete wall has a back surface supported by a back panel while adecorative material is applied to an opposing front surface of the wallby hand or by pneumatic projection while that front surface is stillplastic, the same day the wall is poured. No bonding agents are neededas the decorative materials are embedded into the plastic concretesurface. The decorative material may be further exposed by a surfacetreatment either before or after the front surface of the concrete wallis floated or cut or finished, with a sealant optionally appliedthereafter. The concrete wall may be created by pneumatically applying aconcrete mixture to fill a cavity in a concrete wall form (e.g.,shotcrete), or by pouring concrete into wall forms having opposing frontand back panels and then removing the front panel to expose at least thefront surface while that front surface is still plastic. Optionally, theback panel may be removed while the back surface is still plastic andthe decorative material may also be applied to that back surface whileit is still plastic.

The method of forming the decorative surface on the concrete wallgenerally includes forming an underlying concrete wall using a singlemixture of concrete and then applying a concrete decorative material tothe exterior face of the concrete wall while it is still in a plastic ornon-hydrated state. This allows for the decorative material to beapplied without polymers or bonding chemicals to fasten the decorativematerial to the concrete wall, which drastically reduces labor andmaterial costs. The decorative material is applied when the exteriorsurface of the concrete wall is still plastic but the underlyingconcrete wall may be sufficiently self-supporting that the exposed frontsurface does not slump. Thus, the hardening time for the concretesurface in which the decorative material is embedded is further reducedor eliminated, which additionally helps with project scheduling andsequencing. The decorative material is formed of smaller aggregates suchthat the decorative material may advantageously define a uniform textureand appearance.

There is thus advantageously provided a concrete wall with a decorativesurface and a method of forming that decorative surface on the wall. Themethod includes forming a decorative surface on a concrete wall in aconcrete form having two opposing end panels, a bottom panel and a backpanel extending between the end panels to define a wall cavity. The wallcavity contains wall rebar and may contain foundation rebar. The methodincludes the step of projecting a concrete mixture into the wall cavitysufficient to create a concrete wall entraining the wall rebar and anyfoundation rebar. The concrete wall has two opposing end surfaces eachadjoining a different one of the end panels, along with a back wallsurface adjoining the back panel and an exposed front wall surfaceopposite the back panel. The method includes floating and/or cutting theexposed front wall surface to achieve at least one of a desired wallthickness or wall contour. The method also includes applying adecorative material to the exposed front wall surface while that frontwall surface is still plastic.

In further variations, the above method optionally includes one or morefurther steps. These further steps may include finishing the front wallsurface and/or applying a surface treatment to the decorative materialto further expose small particles of the decorative material embedded inthe front wall surface. The method may also include a concrete formhaving a bottom panel that comprises a concrete foundation and mayfurther include a preliminary step of placing foundation rebar in afoundation cavity, with the foundation rebar extending into the wallcavity and then having the projecting step additionally project theconcrete mixture into the foundation cavity to create the concretefoundation and concrete wall at the same time. Additionally, the methodmay include a bottom panel that includes a hardened concrete foundationand that includes the preliminary step of creating that concretefoundation and allowing it to hydrate for at least one day beforeapplying the concrete mixture to the wall cavity. Each of these methodvariations, and the other variations summarized herein, are believed toresult in improved concrete walls with variations in the wall and/or itsdecorative surface.

The method may include the further steps of applying an acid cleaner tothe decorative material and then applying a sealant to the decorativematerial. The step of applying the surface treatment may includesandblasting, grinding, honing, chemical etching, sponging or applying aretarder and later washing some of the retarder off, or combinationsthereof.

The concrete wall is preferably substantially vertical, but may beinclined relative to the vertical direction. The decorative materialsmay be applied by hand, including by floating or troweling, or they maybe applied by projecting the decorative materials against the frontsurface of the concrete wall with sufficient force to embed thedecorative materials into that front surface, as for example, by usingmechanical or pneumatic projection devices. The decorative material 36may comprise small particles having a mean size larger than a 1/64 of aninch such as small aggregate and shells, or it may include color orminerals or combinations of these (and other) decorative materials.

There is also provided a method of forming a concrete wall in a pouredconcrete form having two opposing end panels, a bottom panel andopposing front and back panels extending between the end panels todefine a wall cavity. The wall cavity may contain wall rebar and mayoptionally contain foundation rebar. The method includes the steps ofapplying a wet concrete mixture to the wall cavity to create a concretewall entraining the wall rebar, usually by pouring the mixture into thewall cavity until the form is full and then leveling off the top of thewet concrete parallel to the top of the side panels of the concreteform. The concrete wall has two opposing ends each adjoining a differentone of the end panels, a top and opposing front and back surfacesadjoining the respective front and back panels. The method includes thefurther step of removing the front panel and applying a decorativematerial to the front surface of the concrete wall while that front wallsurface is still plastic. Advantageously, the front panel is not removeduntil after the front wall surface has hydrated sufficiently that theconcrete wall does not slump, and preferably does not slump sufficientlyto increase a thickness of the concrete wall at the bottom panel by morethan 5%.

In further variations, this method may include the steps of floatingand/or finishing the front wall surface containing the decorativematerial. The method may also include the further step of applying asurface treatment to the front wall surface containing the decorativematerial to further expose small particles of the decorative materialembedded in the front wall surface.

Additionally, the method may include the further steps of removing theback panel to expose a back surface of the concrete wall adjoining theback panel and removing that back panel while that back wall surface isstill plastic and then applying a decorative material to the backsurface of the concrete wall while that back wall surface is stillplastic. Advantageously the back panel is removed after the concrete mixhas hydrated sufficiently that the concrete wall retains its shape andpreferably removed after the concrete mix has hydrated sufficiently sothat the concrete wall does not slump sufficiently to increase thethickness of the concrete wall at the bottom panel by more than 5%compared to the thickness when the front panel is removed. The methodmay also include the further step of floating and finishing the portionof the back wall surface containing the decorative material, and/orsealing that decorative material on that back wall surface.

The step of applying the surface treatment comprises one ofsandblasting, grinding, or honing, chemical etching, sponging orapplying a retarder and later washing some of the retarder off.Advantageously, the concrete wall is substantially vertical, but it maybe inclined, but advantageously not inclined more than 60 degrees fromthe vertical. The method may include the steps of applying thedecorative materials by hand, or projecting the decorative materialsagainst the selected plastic surface of the concrete wall withsufficient force to embed the decorative materials into the selectedsurface.

Advantageously, the concrete wall with decorative materials on the frontsurface is formed by one or more of the above described combinations ofsteps. Further, the concrete wall may be formed with the decorativematerials on both the front and back surface as formed by one or more ofthe above described combinations of steps.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of the various embodimentsdisclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the followingdescription and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like partsthroughout, and in which;

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wall form that is used to construct aconcrete wall with the form having one exposed side for applying theconcrete mixture to that exposed side which is initially referred toherein as the “front” side;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a concrete mixture being projected intothe wall form of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a worker floating and/or cutting theexterior surface of the concrete wall within the wall form;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a decorative material being applied tothe concrete in the wall form of FIG. 3 by projection;

FIG. 5 a perspective view of a decorative material being floated intothe plastic, exterior surface of the concrete wall;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a poured wall form used to construct apoured concrete wall with the form having two opposing side panels forthe opposing sides of the concrete wall;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a concrete mixture filling the wallcavity created by the poured concrete form of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the concrete form of FIGS. 6-7 with oneside panel removed;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a worker applying a decorative materialto the concrete in the wall form of FIG. 8 by projecting the decorativematerial into the exposed, plastic exterior surface of the concrete wallafter a side panel is removed to expose that plastic surface; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a worker floating the exposed exteriorsurface of the concrete wall;

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of several method steps for applyingdecorative material to a plastic concrete surface to create a decorativesurface on the concrete wall;

FIG. 12A is a sectional view of a concrete trench or form for pouring aconcrete foundation with a hand floated top surface;

FIG. 12B shows a sectional view of a vertical, poured concrete wall formon the foundation of FIG. 12A with the concrete form filled withconcrete; and

FIG. 12C is a sectional view of an inclined poured concrete wall formand foundation form, both filled with concrete.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As used herein, the following part numbers refer to the following partsthroughout: 10 & 10′—concrete forms; 12—back panel; 14—end panel; 16—endpanel; 18 & 18′—cavity; 20 bottom panel; 21—top panel; 22—brace; 24—wallrebar; 25—foundation rebar; 26—spacers; 28—protective floor panel;30—concrete mixture; 31—hose; 32—exposed surface as shot; 34 floatedsurface; 36—decorative material; 38 & 38′—finished decorative surface;42—front panel; 44—second brace; 46—exposed plastic concrete surface;52—float concrete; 54—apply decorative materials; 56—final float/finish;58—expose decorative materials; 60—frame/pour foundation; 62—provideconcrete form; 64—add reinforcing materials to form; 66.—install wiregauges for depth; 68—frame or create foundation; 69—assemble forms;70—pour concrete in forms; 72—strip forms; 73—float exposed surface;74—apply decorative materials; 76—float & finish wall; 78—exposedecorative materials; 80—applying sealant; 90—trench; 92—trench cavity;94—top foundation panel

The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description ofthe presently preferred embodiment of the invention, and is not intendedto represent the only form in which the present invention may beconstructed or utilized. The description sets forth the functions andsequences of steps for constructing and operating the invention. It isto be understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions andsequences may be accomplished by different embodiments and that they arealso intended to be encompassed within the scope of the invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1-2, a concrete wall form 10 may be used forconstructing a concrete wall. The illustrative wall form 10 includes aback panel 12 and a pair of opposed end panels 14, 16 disposed onopposite ends of the back panel 12. The back panel 12 and end panels 14,16 collectively define three sides of a box-like wall cavity 18 withinwhich concrete may be disposed to form a portion of a concrete wall. Theend panels 14, 16 are advantageously perpendicular to the back panel 12to form a square edge, but could be inclined thereto to form an inclinededge. The side panels are preferably planar and parallel to each other,but need not be so.

The wall form 10 is advantageously positioned over a bottom panel 20which is typically a floor or shaped foundation that extends between theopposing end panels, 14, 16 and is the bottom side (or foundation) uponwhich the concrete wall may be constructed. As used herein, referencesto the bottom panel 20 will include both a foundation and a floor, aseither the foundation or floor can function as a bottom panel for theconcrete wall. For convenience, the description will usually refer tothe bottom panel 20 as a foundation as that is the more commonconstruction.

A top panel 21 may optionally be provided which extends between the sidepanels 14, 16 and is opposite the foundation 20 defining the top edge ofthe wall. Optionally, but less preferably, the foundation 20 maycomprise both a foundation cavity and wall cavity having a combinedshape defined by forms so the concrete wall and foundation may becreated at the same time, in a single, substantially continuous pour ofwet concrete or projection of pneumatically applied concrete asdescribed later regarding FIG. 12C. The back panel 12, opposing endpanels 14, 16, and opposing bottom and top panels 20, 21 form five sidesof a box-like wall cavity 18 within which concrete may be disposed toform at least a portion of a concrete wall. The facing surfaces of theend panels 14 and 16 are typically parallel to each other, as are thefacing surfaces of the bottom and top panels 20, 21, but need not be so.The panels 14, 16, 20, 21 typically form a rectangular wall cavity 18,but other shapes are possible as the concrete form 10 is illustrative.The wall form 10 depicted in the Figures is used to create a concretewall having a generally rectangular cross-section and rectangularperipheral shape. It is understood that the methodologies describedherein may be used with wall forms 10 that define other shapes andsizes, including curved surfaces.

The location and orientation of the wall form 10 may correspond to thedesired position and orientation of the hardened concrete wall. In FIGS.1 and 2, the wall form 10 is supported by a brace 22 to maintain thewall form 10 at an angled orientation relative to a vertical plane. Thewall form 10 may be arranged at various angles relative to the groundbut is typically arranged at a 90° angle to the ground to create avertical concrete wall. Even with a vertical orientation of the wallform 10, the brace 22 is commonly used as it provides lateral support tothe wall form 10 so as to maintain the wall form 10 in its uprightconfiguration when concrete is projected thereon, as will be describedin more detail below. Additionally, the wet concrete is heavy and notself-supporting until it hydrates and hardens sufficiently, so the brace22 and wall form 10 maintain the shape of the back side and edges of theconcrete wall during formation and curing of the concrete withoutunacceptable deformation from the weight of the concrete.

Internal support members, such as wall rebar 24 (which includesreinforcing wire) may be positioned within the wall cavity 18 so as tobecome encapsulated by the concrete as it is projected into the wallcavity 18 to provide internal support to the concrete wall and to bettercontrol potential cracking. The wall rebar 24 may be arranged to definea lattice framework to provide support along at least two axes,generally the horizontal and vertical axes. Furthermore, the wall rebar24 may be positioned within two separated planes and may be spaced fromthe back wall 12 using spacers 26 to position the wall rebar 24 inspaced relation to each other. Each separated plane of wall rebar 24 istypically parallel to the back panel 12 when the concrete wall hasgenerally parallel, opposing surfaces.

Although the Figures depict wall rebar 24 disposed within the wallcavity 18, it is understood that other items may be placed within thewall cavity 18 before concrete is projected therein. For instance, wiregauges may be installed to allow installers to determine the depth orthickness of the concrete projected into the wall cavity 18.Furthermore, electrical lines may be placed within the wall cavity 18 ifthe concrete wall includes lights or electrical outlet. Drainage linesor other plumbing lines may additionally be included as needed. Passthrough fittings for various conduits and pipes may likewise be providedbefore the concrete is applied to the concrete form 10.

As best seen in FIG. 2, an optional, protective floor panel 28 may beconnected to or placed adjacent to the wall form 10 to provide a flat,preferably horizontal surface for a worker to stand on when filling thewall cavity 18 with concrete. And working on the wall 2. The protectivefloor panel 28 advantageously extends between the pair of opposing endpanels 14, 16 and has an inner edge that is parallel to a lower edge ofthe back panel 12. Advantageously, the inner edge of the protectivefloor panel 28 provides a visual and physical guide for the thickness ofthe concrete wall along the length of the panel 28.

FIG. 2 shows the wall cavity 18 of the wall form 10 being filled with aconcrete mixture 30 by a shotcrete-type projection process that projectswet concrete mixture 30 at a high velocity into the wall cavity 18 tocreate a body of wet, compacted concrete in the wall cavity 18. The wetconcrete is pumped or otherwise forced through a hose 32 from a holdingtank into the wall cavity 18. The concrete mixture 30 may include guniteand other concrete mixtures known by those skilled in the art that aresuitable for high pressure spray applications, suitable for pneumaticapplication through a hose 31 to form vertical walls, or other concretemixtures suitable for walls which allow use of the methods describedherein. The concrete mixture 30 preferably includes a combination ofsmall and large aggregate. This concrete mixture 30 may form part of anexposed surface of the concrete wall. The concrete mixture 30 isprojected into the wall cavity 18 until the wall cavity 18 is filledsufficiently to form a concrete wall of the desired thickness orslightly less than the desired thickness and having an exposed wallsurface 32 that is usually generally planar but non-uniform because ofthe impact used to create the concrete wall surface.

Referring to FIG. 3, while the concrete wall surface 32 is still in anon-hydrated, plastic state, the wall surface is preferably floated orcut, typically using a bull float or trowel 40 or straight edge andguides to cut and/or float the surface to create a floated wall surface34 that is smoother than the as-shot wall surface and that has thespecified wall thickness and/or contour. The top panel 21 may be removedbefore the floating or left in place until later and may serve as athickness and/or contour guide. If no top panel 21 is present then thetop edge of the concrete wall is usually floated to create a top edgethat is flat or has the desired shape with whatever texture is deemedappropriate.

The compacting of the concrete mixture 30 from being projected againstthe back panel 12 helps set the concrete and reduce slumping. As usedherein, slumping of a concrete wall formed by projecting concrete occurswhen the thickness of the concrete wall at the bottom panel 20 increasesby 5% or more after the exposed front surface 32 is first floated or cutto create surface 34.

Referring to FIG. 4, while the cut and/or floated wall surface 34 isstill in a non-hydrated, plastic state a concrete decorative material 36is forced into the plastic exterior of the floated wall surface 34 oralternatively, forced into the as-shot concrete wall surface 32. Thedecorative material 36 may optionally be applied to the top edge of thewall as well as to the floated wall surface 34 or the un-floated wallsurface 32. If present, the top panel 21 would be removed beforeapplying decorative material 36 to the top ledge of the wall.

The decorative material 36 may comprise select sands, colored sands,color, colored concrete, colored cement minerals, shells, stones,pebbles, glass fragments, brick fragments, cement and other smallmaterials, aggregate or combinations thereof, to define the desiredappearance. The decorative material 36 preferably has only small sizedparticles contained therein by which is meant particles having a meandiameter of less than three-eighths of one inch.

The decorative material 36 is advantageously applied in a manner thatforces the decorative material 36 into the plastic exterior wall surface32, 34 of the non-hydrated concrete and preferably forces the mixture 36a sufficient distance into that exterior wall surface so that a majorityof any aggregate and sand in the decorative material have a majority andpreferably more than a majority, of the surface of each particle (e.g.,aggregate, sand, shell) entrained in that exterior wall surface so as tosecurely embed any particulates in the decorative material 36 into theplastic concrete wall surface 32, 34 to form a finished concrete wallsurface 38. For decorative materials 36 (including colors) which containno particulates that are even the size of fine sand ( 1/64 inch meandiameter), the decorative material is applied so that it either wicksinto or is forced into the plastic concrete wall surface 32, 34 to adepth of at least half the mean size of the decorative material over amajority of the surface area to which the decorative material isapplied. Advantageously, if the decorative material 36 comprises coloror other decorative material that is a liquid having no discretephysical particles detectible by rubbing the liquid between a person'sfingers, the liquid penetrates to a depth of at least 0.1 inches, and asused herein, such a liquid is considered to penetrate plastic concretesurface a distance of at least half the mean size of the decorativematerial.

The objective of the particle entrainment (including color penetration)is to hold the materials and particles in the decorative material 36 tothe concrete wall surface for considerable lengths of time amounting toat least five years. The decorative material 36 may be applied by apneumatic process with or without floating to smooth and shape the wallsurface 32, 34. The decorative material 36 may also be applied by handas by floating the material 36 into the plastic concrete surface. Thedecorative material may further be broadcast onto the plastic concretewall surface 32, 34 or applied by hand, as for example, by usingbrushes, by rollers, by hand implements such as floats or trowels, or byother mechanisms.

The finished concrete wall surface 38 comprises the concrete wall withthe decorative material 36 applied to the plastic, exposed surface 32,34 by any of the described steps without further finishing steps.Advantageously though, the finished concrete wall surface 38 is furtherfloated to further embed the decorative material 36 and is furtherfinished by surface troweling to draw the cement toward the exposedsurface while further embedding the decorative material in the wall.

As desired, the finished concrete wall surface 38 may be furtherenhanced by applying a surface treatment, such as surface retarder,sandblasting, acid etching or sponging or other methods that furtherexpose any small particles in the surface materials that are embedded inthe front surface of the concrete, including small particles such asaggregate, shells, sand or other small particles. The surface retarderis applied before the concrete is fully hydrated and is optionallymasked or covered by a vapor barrier to allow the body of the concretewall to hydrate or harden, while allowing the wall surface penetrated bythe retarder to hydrate or harden at a slower rate so that a portion ofthe retarder and concrete may be washed off to further expose the outerportion of the decorative material 36 embedded in or penetrated into thefinished concrete wall surface 38. Sandblasting is typically applied togreen concrete or hydrated concrete and uses abrasive particles appliedpneumatically to remove an outer layer of the finished wall surface 38to further expose the decorative material 36 such as aggregate or otherparticulates embedded in the finished concrete wall surface 38. Highpressure water may be used similar to sandblasting to expose more of thedecorative material 36. Acid etching is typically applied to greenconcrete or hydrated concrete and uses a weak acid solution, applied byspraying or by sponges using rubber gloves to expose the decorativematerial 36 such as aggregate or other particulates embedded in thefinished concrete wall surface 38. Sponging is usually applied toconcrete that is still plastic and uses water and sponges to hand washaway the outer layer of cement and expose the particulates of thedecorative materials 36 embedded in the finished concrete wall surface38.

After the concrete wall is hydrated sufficiently that the concrete form10 can be removed without altering the shape or surface of the hardenedconcrete wall, the concrete form 10 is removed. The decorative materials36 on the finished concrete wall surface 38 may be sealed by applying asealant, typically a polymer. The application of the sealant may bepreceded by an acid wash, preferably after the concrete is no longerplastic enough to embed the decorative material 36.

Referring to FIG. 11, the various steps of the method of producing thedecorative concrete wall may include projecting shotcrete concrete orgunite or a non-hydrated concrete mixture into a wall cavity 18 ofconcrete form 10 to form a wall as in step 50. The concrete wall may becut and/or floated to a desired thickness and contour as in step 52. Thedecorative coating 36 may be applied to visible portions of the wallwhile the wall is still sufficiently plastic to embed the decorativecoating or allow wicking or color penetration to the above describeddepth as in step 54. An optional final float/finish step may be appliedto the decorative coating 36 on the concrete wall as in step 56. Anoptional enhancing step may further expose any particles in thedecorative material 36 embedded in the concrete wall as in step 58.

The method may include one or more of the preliminary steps of framingand pouring the foundation 20, before or concurrently with projectingconcrete to form the wall as in step 60. The framing may include formingtrenches in the ground that define a wall of the resulting concretefoundation 20, and in some cases the trench may define at least aportion of a concrete wall. The method may include the preliminary stepof framing the wall by creating concrete form 10, 10′, as in step 62, oradding reinforcing material such as wall rebar 24 and spacers 26 toreinforce the resulting concrete wall as in step 62. The method mayinclude adding wire gages in the concrete form 10 to allow monitoring ofthickness of the concrete wall or the depth of the concrete inside theconcrete form 10.

The step 54 of applying the decorative coating 36 method may include oneor more of the steps of applying the decorative coating by a pneumaticdevice or other device imparting sufficient velocity to the decorativematerial 36 to embed it into the plastic concrete surface 32, 34,preferably to the depths describe herein; or applying the decorativematerial 36 by hand as by broadcasting color or floating/troweling thematerial 36 into the plastic concrete surface.

The step 58 of exposing the decorative materials 36 may include applyinga surface retarder and later washing the retarder to remove cemententraining the particles in the decorative materials to further exposethose particles. The step 58 may also include exposing particles in thedecorative materials 36 by acid etching, or chemical etching, orsandblasting, or high pressure spray, or grinding and/or honing, orwater sponging.

Referring to FIGS. 6-10, an alternative method of forming the decorativesurface on a concrete wall is disclosed. The concrete form 10 andfoundation or bottom panel 20 and wall rebar 24 and brace 22 are aspreviously described. But a front panel 42 is provided and is typicallyfastened to the end panels 14, 16 to create a modified concrete form 10′that further defines wall cavity 18′ to include the space between thefront and back panels 42, 12, as well as the end panels 14, 16 andfoundation or bottom panel 20. A second brace 44 is optionally fastenedas needed to the end panels 14, 26 and/or front panel 42 to maintain thedesired shape of the front panel when the weight of the concrete betweenthe front and back panels 42, 12 urges those panels apart or bows thosepanels. The front and back panels 42, 12 may be connected intermediatethe end panels 14, 16 by various ties to maintain the spacing betweenpanels 12, 42 under the weight of wet concrete. The main difference withmodified form 10′ is that it encloses all but the top of the wall cavity18′ which will shape the concrete wall when filled with concrete.

The front and back panels 42, 12 are typically each planar and parallelto one another to define a wall of a uniform thickness defined by thespace between the forms. But the front and back panels 42, 12 need notbe planar or parallel as the shapes and relative inclination and/ororientation of the panels may be altered to vary the thickness of theconcrete wall and the shape of the concrete wall. For example, thepanels 12, 42 may have convex or concave portions that are conformingand parallel, or opposing and diverging. The same applies to the endpanels 14, 16. The modified form 10′ and front and back panels 42, 12may be inclined to the horizontal but is usually vertical, with thebraces 22, 44 supporting the parts of the modified form 10 to which theyare attached.

Wall rebar 24 is placed in the wall cavity 18′ as described. In additionto the rebar 24, the wall cavity 18′ may contain other items, includingwire gages, electrical conduits, plumbing fittings, pass throughfittings and other items to be entrained in the concrete wall. Wet,non-hydrated concrete mixture 30′ is poured into the wall cavity 18′ toentrain the rebar and other items in the cavity 18′. The concretemixture 30′ preferably includes a combination of small and largeaggregate and may include any concrete mixture believed suitable for theparticular needs of the concrete wall being constructed, and may includethe sprayed concrete mixtures and gunite described above. This concretemixture 30′ may form part of an exposed surface of the finished concretewall. The concrete mixture 30′ is poured or otherwise placed into thewall cavity 18′ until the wall cavity 18′ is filled sufficiently to forma concrete wall of the desired dimensions.

The concrete mixture 30′ is preferably vibrated to remove air bubblesand consolidate the concrete mixture and the top edge of the concretewall is finished to whatever texture is deemed appropriate, usually byfloating the top edge to a flat, horizontal shape. The concrete mixtureis allowed to partially hydrate until such time that the front panel 42can be removed without the concrete wall slumping at the bottom panel 20and while the exposed concrete wall surface 46 that was adjoining thefront panel 42 is still plastic. As used herein, slumping of a pouredconcrete wall formed between front and back panels 12, 42 occurs whenthe thickness of the concrete wall at the bottom panel 20 increases by5% or more after the first of the front or back panels 12, 42 isremoved.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the front panel 42 is removed at a time suchthat the concrete is hydrated sufficiently to stand and not slump at thebottom panel 20 or along a height of the wall. The front panel 42 isremoved to expose the plastic surface 46 and the decorative material 36is then applied (FIG. 9) as described herein to the exposed plasticconcrete wall surface 46. Depending on the roughness and desiredtreatment of the exposed plastic concrete wall surface 46 after thefront panel 42 is removed, the wall surface 42 may optionally befloated, typically using a bull float or trowel to further smooth theplastic surface of the concrete wall, before the decorative material 36is applied. Referring to FIG. 9, the decorative material 36 may beapplied to the wall surface 46 without floating the exposed concretewall surface 46, or applied after such floating. The decorative material36 is applied as described above, for example by pneumatic pressurethrough hose 31, or broadcast by hand, or applied to the float 40 (SeeFIGS. 3, 10) which then applies the material to the wall surface 46. Thedecorative material 36 may optionally be applied to the top edge of thewall as well as to the exposed wall surface 46.

Because the top edge is typically uncovered as the concrete wall curesand hydrates, the decorative material 36 may be applied at any timeafter the concrete mixture 30 is poured and the top edge is formed.

In some situations the decorative material 36 embedded in the exposedconcrete surface 46 may be floated (FIG. 10) to further embed thedecorative material into the plastic concrete surface and to create thedesired surface texture or finish or configuration. The steps forapplying the decorative material 36 are as described above and elsewhereherein. While the description of those steps in detail is not repeated,the steps result in a finished decorative surface 38′.

The finished decorative concrete wall surface 38′ may comprise theconcrete wall with the decorative material 36 applied to the concretesurface 46 by any of the described steps without further finishingsteps. Advantageously though, the finished concrete wall surface 38′ isfurther floated to further embed the decorative material 36 in theconcrete wall and is further finished by surface troweling to draw thecement toward the exposed surface while further embedding the decorativematerial 36 in the wall.

Advantageously, when the front panel 42 is removed, the remainingportions of concrete form 10′ are left in place to protect the concretewall from marring and damage and to further support the wall so it doesnot slump at the bottom panel 20 or is otherwise marred while thesurface is in the plastic state. After the concrete wall is more fullyhydrated to its rock-like hardness, the remaining removable portions ofconcrete form 10 are removed, at least by one day after pouring thewall.

Referring to FIGS. 6-12 and especially to FIG. 11, the method of formingthe decorative concrete wall may include the step 68 of framing and/orpouring a foundation 20 that creates a bottom panel for the concretewall. Typically, foundation rebar 25 is embedded in the foundation 10and extends upward so as to be entrained in the resulting concrete wallthat is typically poured later (e.g., FIGS. 1-2, 12A-12B). Method step69 of assembling the concrete form 10′ which form is configured tocreate a wall of desired dimensions, and where the form has at least afront panel 42 that is preferably configured to be removed while theremaining portions of the concrete form 10′ remain, and where optionallyone or more of the back panel 12 and end panels 14, 16 may be removed.Step 70 includes pouring wet concrete into the concrete form 10′ to fillthe wall cavity 18′ and create a body of wet, un-hydrated concreteconforming the shape of wall cavity 18′.

Method step 72 includes stripping at least one of the panels of theconcrete form 10′, preferably stripping the front panel 42 from theconcrete form to expose the plastic concrete surface 46 previouslyadjoining that front panel 42 (or panels 12, 14, 16) while that exposedconcrete surface is still plastic but will not slump. Step 73 isoptional and includes floating the recently exposed, plastic concretesurface 46. Step 74 applies the decorative material 36 to the exposedconcrete surface 46 (optionally including applying the material 36 tothe surface previously adjoining panels 12, 14, 16) while that concretesurface is still plastic and to any other visible portions of theconcrete wall to which the coating is desired to be applied. Optionalstep 76 floats the exposed concrete surface 46 and decorative material36 to further embed the material 36 into the plastic surface of theconcrete wall (including surfaces adjoining panels 12, 14, 16 or the topedge of the wall) and to bring cement from the wall to the surface 46.Optional step 78 further exposes the decorative materials 76 usingprocesses described herein to further expose the decorative materials 36to enhance the aesthetic appearance of these materials 36, especiallythe particulate materials.

In FIG. 6-10, only one panel (front panel 42) was removed to expose theunderlying plastic concrete surface 46. Removing only the front panel 42while leaving the remainder of the poured concrete wall encased in theremainder of the concrete form 10′ allows the form 10′ to providesupport to the concrete wall and helps avoid slumping, surface marringor other undesirable deformations on the faces of the wall adjoining therespective concrete forms. The internal wall rebar 24 and any foundationrebar 25 extending into and entrained within the wall also helpsmaintain the wall in the desired configuration. It is believed possibleto remove both the side panels 12, 42 (and associated braces 22, 44)while leaving the end panels 14, 16.

It is believed possible to apply the decorative surface material 36 toboth exposed plastic side surfaces of the concrete wall using the abovedescribed steps of FIG. 11 for exposed surface 46 and for the exposedsurfaces adjoining panels 12, 14, 16 while the underlying concretesurface is still sufficiently pliable. Because the concrete continues tohydrate and harden with time, applying the decorative material 36 isdone while the exposed concrete surface 46 is still pliable enough toaccept the decorative material when applied as described herein, withoutcausing cracking, spalling or chipping of the exposed concrete surfaceto which the decorative material is applied. It is believed possible toremove one or more of the panels 12, 14, 16 and 42, apply surfaceretarder to the adjoining concrete surface(s) and then replace theremoved panel to extend the time during which the adjoining concretesurface is plastic in order to allow more time to work on the surfacewhile allowing the bulk of the wall to harden and become self-supportingand reducing potential slumping.

Depending on the internal support to the concrete wall from wall rebar24 and internal strengthening parts, and the concrete mixture and walldesign, it is further believed possible to remove one or both of the endpanels 14, 16 to expose end surfaces of the concrete wall and to thenapply the decorative material 36 to one or both of the exposed endsurfaces of the concrete wall. Thus, it is believed that all exposedfaces of the concrete wall could have decorative material applied tothose exposed surfaces.

The process for applying the decorative material 36 is described aboveand not repeated here. Depending on the concrete mixture andenvironmental conditions, it may be desirable to leave one or more ofthe end panels 14, 16 or the back panel 12 in place while the frontpanel 42 is removed in order to reduce hydration of the concretesurfaces adjoining those panels and thus extend the time when thoseunderlying surfaces are sufficiently plastic to receive the decorativematerial 36 or to be floated to further embed the decorative material 36into the concrete surfaces.

Multiple workers may simultaneously apply decorative material 36 to oneor more surfaces previously underlying panels 12, 14, 16 or 44, or thepanels may be removed at different times or in different combinationsand decorative material applied sequentially or at different times tothose different combinations of the underlying surfaces beneath thepanels as the panels are removed.

The method embodied in FIGS. 5-11 may include the preliminary step 68(FIG. 11) of framing and/or pouring a foundation or bottom panel 20 andmay further include the preliminary step of assembling the wall frame10′ and installing reinforcing such as wall rebar 24 and spacers 26 andother components to be entrained within the wall. The step FIG. 11 74 ofapplying decorative materials 36 may include applying the materialsusing a pneumatic device to project the materials into the plasticsurface of the concrete wall, or it may include applying the decorativematerials by hand as by broadcasting them against the plastic surface ortroweling them into the plastic surface or applying a liquid containingthe decorative material with a brush or roller.

The FIG. 11 step 78 of exposing the decorative materials 36 may includeapplying a surface retarder and later washing the retarder to removecement entraining the particles in the decorative materials to furtherexpose those particles. The step 78 may include further exposingparticles in the decorative materials 36 by acid etching, or chemicaletching, or sandblasting, or high pressure spray, or grinding and/orhoning, or water sponging.

The methods reflected in FIGS. 1-12 and described with respect to FIG.11 may further include the optional step 80 of applying a sealant to thedecorative surface 38, 38′, including applying a sealant to the furtherexposed decorative materials. The sealant is applied when the decorativesurface 38, 38′ is created and ready to receive the sealant, so thetiming and sequence of step 80 may vary. The sealant is typically aclear polymer selected to allow and/or enhance visibility and appearanceof the decorative materials 36 and usually to also help avoid thedecorative materials 36 from being removed from the concrete wall inwhich they materials are at least partially entrained. The applicationof the sealant may be preceded by an acid wash, with the acid washpreferably after the concrete is no longer plastic enough to apply thedecorative material as embedded particulates, although the acid washcould be part of an step to enhance the appearance of the decorativematerial.

Referring to FIGS. 12A-12B, the foundation 20 is typically created bydigging a trench 90 so the dimensions of the trench form a trench cavity92 to define the size of the foundation. The end of the trench may alsobe formed by the ground, or alternatively one or more end panels 14, 16may be placed in the trench to define the length of the foundation andthe length of the trench cavity. The end panels are usually held inplace by stakes driven into the ground. Front and back panels 12, 42 mayalso be used to define the long sides of the cavity for the foundation20. Foundation rebar 25 (which includes any other strengtheningcomponents or members) is placed in the trench 90 (or floor orfoundation forms) and held apart from the trench walls and bottom of thetrench by spacers 26. Typically, foundation rebar 25 extends upward outof the foundation to interconnect with the wall rebar 24 used to formthe wall and/or to interconnect with the concrete forming the wall.Sometimes the foundation 20 comprises a concrete floor, in which casethe floor has foundation rebar 25 placed along the length of the walland sized to extend above the finished surface of the floor.

The trench cavity 92 (or forms defining the sides of the floor orfoundation) is then filled with concrete mixture 30 with the top surfacebeing floated to the desired configuration, which is usually a flat,horizontal surface. If the foundation is a floor, the concrete surfaceis usually machine troweled and that troweling may extend close to butdoes not contact the foundation rebar 25 extending out of the surface offoundation or bottom panel 20. Typically, the foundation 20 is pouredseparately from the concrete wall and before the wall forms 10, 10′ areput in place. After the concrete in the trench cavity 92 (or floor)hardens to form the foundation 20 of the desired shape, any foundationforms (or other forms) are removed and any empty spaces between thetrench and foundation 20 may be filled with earth or other materials, orleft until the concrete wall is formed before being filled.

Referring to FIG. 12B, the concrete form 10 or 10′ is then assembled onthe foundation 20 and adjacent ground (or floor), with foundation rebar25 placed within the cavity 18, 18′ as required by the particularstrength needed for the concrete wall. The wall rebar 24 for theconcrete wall may optionally be fastened to any foundation rebar 25extending from the foundation 20 (or floor) by wires even welding or byplacing the bottom end of a continuous strip of wall rebar into thefoundation 20 before the foundation is formed so it is entrained in boththe foundation and wall whether or not those parts are formedsimultaneously. The concrete wall is then constructed as described aboveregarding FIGS. 1-10.

Referring to FIG. 12C, the foundation 20 may be formed concurrently withthe concrete wall. The trench cavity 92 is created by digging a shapedtrench in the ground or by placing foundation forms in the trench toshape the foundation or bottom panel 20. The various wall panels 12, 14,16, 21 and 42 are put in place to define the wall cavity 18, 18′,depending on the shape of the concrete wall and the process used to formthe wall. Foundation rebar 25, wall rebar 24, spacers, wire gages andany other components to be entrained in the concrete are then placed inthe cavities 18, 18′ and 92. The foundation rebar 25 may extend from thefoundation's trench cavity 92 into the wall cavity 18, 18′. The concretemixture 30 is then projected into both the foundation trench cavity 92and wall cavity 18, or the concrete mixture is poured into both thefoundation trench cavity 92 and the wall cavity 18′. After the formationof the concrete wall is completed and the concrete is sufficientlyhardened, any remaining concrete forms 10, 10′ are removed.

Because the weight of the concrete in the wall cavity 18, 18′ may affectthe shape of the foundation's top surface while the concrete is wet andbefore the concrete foundation hydrates and hardens sufficiently tosupport the weight of the wall, top foundation panel 94 may be providedto form the top side of the foundation 20, and the protective floorpanel 28 may be used as a top foundation panel on a side of thefoundation opposite panel 94. The top foundation panel 94 and panel 28may be used with the foundation formation process of FIGS. 12A, 12B andthe panels 28, 94 may be considered as part of the concrete forms 10,10′. The concrete mixture 30 may have to be vibrated or speciallyprojected to ensure it fills the cavity 92 below the top foundationpanel 94 and panel 28.

The present methods offer advantages reflected in the resulting concretewall. By applying the decorative material 36 while the wall is still ina plastic state, the decorative material may be applied without polymersor bonders and without the need to entrain the decorative material in asecond, different mixture of concrete and then applying that secondmixture to the wall. That avoids the cost and cleanup and environmentalissues associated with such polymers and bonders. The ability to applythe decorative material to the plastic wall surface and to embed thedecorative material 36 into the concrete surface or wick the decorativematerial into the plastic concrete surface is believed to provideseveral additional advantages. The process allows a much simplerapplication process which reduces labor costs. It allows a much fasterprocess because it can be completed the same day the concrete wall ispoured or s hot, and is completed before the concrete hydrates to itsrock-like hardness. It requires less cleanup as there is no secondcement or concrete coating or bonding agent applied. It avoids the needto roughened a hardened concrete surface to improve adhesion ofdecorative materials. It avoids the need to repeatedly return to the jobsite. It avoids the need for a costly finishing layer and avoids theneed to segregate aggregates by size as in U.S. Pat. No. 8,962,088. Itallows a wide variety of materials to be applied as the decorativematerial 36. It also provides secure entrainment of the decorativematerial in the concrete surface using the concrete itself, and thusavoids the degradation which can arise from prolonged exposure tosunlight of some bonding agents.

The process of forming a decorative wall described herein also producesa wall having new and improved properties. Because the decorativematerial 36 is applied to the concrete wall while it is still plastic,the bonding of the material to the wall is improved and the decorativesurface 38, 38′ are believed to be less subject to cracking, chippingand spalling than decorative surfaces on prior art walls.

If the foundation or bottom panel 20 is poured or formed at the sametime as the concrete wall, then the wall rebar 24 and foundation rebar25 will extend between the bottom panel 20 and the concrete wall and beentrained in the concrete mixture 30, 30′ as the bottom panel and wallcan be simultaneously formed, resulting in a superior structuralconnection. Typically, the foundation or bottom panel 20 comprises aconcrete foundation that is poured and allowed cure before the concreteforms 10, 10′ for the wall are created are created with the foundationrebar 25 connected to the wall rebar 24 by wires or welding, orinterconnected by the concrete mixture 30 forming the concrete wall thatis poured after the foundation cures. Advantageously, the foundation 20is poured and hydrates for at least a day before the concrete wall ispoured into concrete forms 10′ or projected into concrete forms 10.Either foundation or bottom panel 10 provides a strong base for theresulting concrete wall with the decorative material 36. Alternatively,the rebar 24 may be places so its bottom portion is located in thefoundation cavity and the rebar 24 extends continuously along the lengthand height of the wall form 10′ (and 10) as in FIGS. 1-2.

Further, the plastic concrete surface 32, 34, 46 is preferably verticalor generally vertical when the decorative material 36 is applied and theresulting finished decorative surface 38, 38′ will have a finalappearance that can be readily determined. For example, tiles casthorizontally and viewed in a horizontal orientation in a store orwarehouse may appear different when applied to a vertical wall, and evenvertically displayed tiles present a different appearance when presentedin isolation compared to the appearance created by multiple tilesassembled together. As long as the exposed surfaces 32, 46 aresufficiently plastic the decorative material 36 may be furthermanipulated to adjust the appearance, as for example by furtherfloating, applying more decorative material 36, or applying surfacetreatments—especially those suitable for use with plastic concrete.

Additionally, the application of the decorative material 36 to avertical or off-vertical wall is believed to cause a differentappearance and a different interlock with the plastic concrete surface32, 46 than arises if the decorative material were applied to ahorizontal surface. As used herein, the generally vertical orientationrefers to angles of inclination of up to 30° from the vertical, andsubstantially vertical includes inclined angles of 5° or less from thevertical. But the method described herein is believed usable with wallsinclined at angles of up to 80° from the vertical, although the inclinedangle is advantageously 60° to 45° from the vertical and is preferablyless 5° inclined from the vertical. If the decorative material 36 isbroadcast by hand or machine, the angle of inclination of the wall (andof the forms 10, 10′) affects how gravity disperses the decorativematerial 36 and how that material initially penetrates the exposedsurfaces 32, 46.

If the decorative material 36 is projected into the exposed concretesurface 32, 46 the relative angle of inclination between the trajectoryof the decorative material and the exposed concrete surfaces affects thedepth and orientation of the decorative particles as they are embeddedinto the exposed concrete surfaces. If the decorative material 36 isapplied by floats, or floated after application, gravity will affect howthe material is embedded into and interlocked with the exposed concretesurface 32, 46. If the decorative material 36 is applied by brushes orrollers, gravity affects how the decorative material will flow down andpenetrate the exposed surface 32, 46 and how air-born contaminantsaffect that exposed surface and the applied decorative materials. Theresulting finished decorative surface 38, 38′ lacks the distinctivelayered construction that results from the prior art processes thatapply first and second concrete mixtures with different sizes ofaggregate in the concrete mixes as is done in U.S. Pat. No. 8,962,088,and avoids the issues that arise from the attempts to interlock twoseparately applied layers of concrete mix.

The vertical or off-vertical orientation of the exposed concretesurfaces also affects how surface treatments affect the decorativematerial 36 as the orientation of the wall affects how the surfacetreatments are applied, especially as a vertical or inclined wall willcause liquid surface treatments flow downward compared to a horizontalorientation which would puddle the liquids at low spots. Also, applyingthe decorative materials in the as-used, vertical or off-verticalorientation is believed to result in a finished decorative surface 38,38′ with a different residual stress adjacent the surface of theconcrete wall (i.e., within 0.5 inches) compared to the decorativesurfaces that would result if they were prepared using a horizontal form10, 10′, or if the decorative surface is applied as a separate layer ofconcrete mixture to a vertical wall as in U.S. Pat. No. 8,962,088.Embedding the decorative material into a plastic concrete surface 32, 46is believed to be very different than entraining the material in aconcrete mixture and applying the mixture as a separate layer. Thus, theresulting concrete wall with a finished decorative surface 38, 38′ isbelieved to have new and different properties and characteristicscompared to the prior art.

The complete contents of all patents and patent applications identifiedherein are incorporated by reference.

The detailed description set forth above in connection with the drawingsis intended as a description of some, but not all, of contemplatedembodiments of the disclosure, and is not intended to represent the onlyform in which the present disclosure may be constructed or utilized. Thedescription sets forth the functions and the sequence of steps fordeveloping and operating the disclosure in connection with theillustrated embodiments.

It is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent functionsand sequences may be accomplished by different embodiments that are alsointended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of thedisclosure. It is further understood that the use of relational termssuch as first and second, top and bottom, and the like are used solelyto distinguish one entity from another entity without necessarilyrequiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between suchentities.

The particulars shown herein are by way of example and for purposes ofillustrative discussion of the embodiments of the present disclosureonly and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to bethe most useful and readily understood description of the principles andconceptual aspects of the present disclosure. In this regard, no attemptis made to show structural details of the present disclosure in moredetail than is necessary for the fundamental understanding of thepresent disclosure, the description taken with the drawings makingapparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of thepresent disclosure may be embodied in practice.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of forming a concrete wall in a concreteform having two opposing end panels, a bottom panel and a back panelextending between the end panels to define a wall cavity, the wallcavity containing wall rebar; the method comprising: projecting aconcrete mixture into the wall cavity sufficient to create a concretewall entraining the wall rebar, the concrete wall having two opposingends each adjoining a different one of the end panels, a back surfaceadjoining the back panel and an exposed front wall surface opposite theback panel; floating, cutting or both floating and cutting the exposedfront wall surface to achieve at least one of a desired wall thicknessor wall contour; and applying a decorative material to the exposed frontwall surface while that front wall surface is still plastic.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, comprising the further steps of: finishing the frontwall surface and applying a surface treatment to the decorative materialto further expose small particles of the decorative material embedded inthe front wall surface.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the bottompanel comprises a concrete foundation and further comprising apreliminary step of placing foundation rebar in a foundation cavity,with the foundation rebar extending into the wall cavity; and whereinthe step of projecting a concrete mixture further includes projectingthe concrete mixture into the foundation cavity to create the foundationand wall at the same time.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the bottompanel comprises a concrete foundation and further comprising apreliminary step of creating the foundation and allowing it to hydratefor at least one day before applying the concrete mixture to the wallcavity.
 5. The method of claim 2, wherein the bottom panel comprises aconcrete foundation and further comprising a preliminary step ofcreating the foundation and allowing it to hydrate for at least one daybefore applying the concrete mixture to the wall cavity.
 6. The methodof claim 2, comprising the further the steps of: applying an acidcleaner to the decorative material; and applying a sealant to thedecorative material.
 7. The method of claim 2, wherein the step ofapplying the surface treatment comprises one of sandblasting, grindingor honing.
 8. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of applying thesurface treatment comprises one of chemical etching, sponging orapplying a retarder and later washing some of the retarder off.
 9. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the concrete wall is substantially vertical.10. The method of claim 1, wherein the decorative materials are appliedby hand.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the decorative materials areapplied by projecting the decorative materials against the front surfaceof the concrete wall with sufficient force to embed the decorativematerials into that front surface.
 12. The method of claim 2, whereinthe decorative materials comprise small particles having a mean sizelarger than a 1/64 of an inch.
 13. The method of claim 2, wherein thedecorative materials comprise color or minerals.
 14. A method of forminga concrete wall in a concrete form having two opposing end panels, abottom panel and opposing front and back panels extending between theend panels to define a wall cavity, the wall cavity containing wallrebar; the method comprising: applying a wet concrete mixture to thewall cavity to create a concrete wall entraining the wall rebar, theconcrete wall having two opposing ends each adjoining a different one ofthe end panels, a top and opposing front and back surfaces adjoining therespective front and back panels; removing the front panel after thefront wall surface has hydrated sufficiently that the concrete wall doesnot slump sufficiently to increase a thickness of the concrete wall atthe bottom panel by more than 5%; and applying a decorative material tothe front surface of the concrete wall while that front wall surface isstill plastic.
 15. The method of claim 14, further including the stepsof floating and finishing the front wall surface containing thedecorative material.
 16. The method of claim 15, comprising the furtherstep of applying a surface treatment to the front wall surfacecontaining the decorative material to further expose small particles ofthe decorative material embedded in the front wall surface.
 17. Themethod of claim 16, comprising the further steps of: removing the backpanel to expose a back surface of the concrete wall adjoining the backpanel and removing that back panel while that back surface is stillplastic but after the concrete mix has hydrated sufficiently that theconcrete wall retains its shape; and applying a decorative material tothe back surface of the concrete wall while that back surface is stillplastic; and floating the portion of the front wall surface containingthe decorative material.
 18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step ofapplying the surface treatment comprises one of sandblasting, grindingor honing.
 19. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of applying thesurface treatment comprises one of chemical etching, applying a retarderand later washing some of the retarder off, or sponging.
 20. The methodof claim 16 wherein the concrete wall is substantially vertical.
 21. Themethod of claim 16, wherein the decorative materials are applied byhand.
 22. The method of claim 16, wherein the decorative materials areapplied by projecting the decorative materials against the front surfaceof the concrete wall with sufficient force to embed the decorativematerials into the front surface.
 23. A concrete wall with decorativematerials on the front surface formed by the method of claim
 2. 24. Aconcrete wall with decorative materials on the front surface formed bythe method of claim
 16. 25. A concrete wall with decorative materials onthe front and back surfaces formed by the method of claim 17.